Warsaw Schools To Participate In Countywide Drill
February 9, 2022 at 3:19 a.m.
Warsaw Schools To Participate In Countywide Drill
By Jackie Gorski-
It is a project that was two years in the making, said Dr.?David Robertson, assistant superintendent of elementary education.
Kosciusko County has a countywide school safety team that meets once a quarter, which includes law enforcement, fire departments and all the school corporations.
One of the projects that has been needed to happen for a while is some sort of countywide exercise where there’s a chance for not only for schools to practice their responses in the middle of a “mass incident,” but also how first responders react to it, Robertson said.
The exercise was supposed to happen in October 2020, but it wasn’t able to be completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The goal is to coordinate responses across the county, Robertson said.
Four school corporations, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office, local police departments, 14 fire agencies and small town municipalities are involved, he said.
There is a tentative date of June 8 to have the exercise completed with the Department of Homeland Security. The event will be invitational only and Robertson estimated about 200 people may attend.
“Essentially, what will happen is we will all be in one room. We will have our response protocols on paper,” he said. The exercise is a paper-based activity. The Homeland Security activity puts up a scenario and each school corporation responds based on the protocols.
“This is the first step in what we hope is an ongoing process of practicing as a county, making sure we have clarity rounds, processes and practices when it comes to school safety,” he said.
In other business, the School Board recognized 55 teachers and employees that are receiving graduate-level degrees, most of who were at the Board meeting Tuesday.
“Through federal ESSER funds, WCS was able to provide scholarships to 55 employees through collaborations with Bluffton University and Indiana State University. These investments in our employees will directly impact our students through newly learned skills while also assisting to recruit and retain exceptional teachers and staff within WCS,” Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert is quoted as saying in a provided news release.
“We’re so excited for your journey,” Hoffert said Monday. He thanked the teachers and employees for taking the journey of getting the degrees. “I know Warsaw Community Schools is coming in and taking care of the tuition part of it, but you’re investing your time. You’re investing time away from your family to hone your skills through these different master’s programs. So thank you for doing that. I hope you got off to a great first step of the journey.”
Not only are the teachers and employees working during the day, but they’re also putting in energy at night to not only to expand their expertise, but to do it for the students they work with every day, said Board President Heather Reichenbach.
It is a project that was two years in the making, said Dr.?David Robertson, assistant superintendent of elementary education.
Kosciusko County has a countywide school safety team that meets once a quarter, which includes law enforcement, fire departments and all the school corporations.
One of the projects that has been needed to happen for a while is some sort of countywide exercise where there’s a chance for not only for schools to practice their responses in the middle of a “mass incident,” but also how first responders react to it, Robertson said.
The exercise was supposed to happen in October 2020, but it wasn’t able to be completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The goal is to coordinate responses across the county, Robertson said.
Four school corporations, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office, local police departments, 14 fire agencies and small town municipalities are involved, he said.
There is a tentative date of June 8 to have the exercise completed with the Department of Homeland Security. The event will be invitational only and Robertson estimated about 200 people may attend.
“Essentially, what will happen is we will all be in one room. We will have our response protocols on paper,” he said. The exercise is a paper-based activity. The Homeland Security activity puts up a scenario and each school corporation responds based on the protocols.
“This is the first step in what we hope is an ongoing process of practicing as a county, making sure we have clarity rounds, processes and practices when it comes to school safety,” he said.
In other business, the School Board recognized 55 teachers and employees that are receiving graduate-level degrees, most of who were at the Board meeting Tuesday.
“Through federal ESSER funds, WCS was able to provide scholarships to 55 employees through collaborations with Bluffton University and Indiana State University. These investments in our employees will directly impact our students through newly learned skills while also assisting to recruit and retain exceptional teachers and staff within WCS,” Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert is quoted as saying in a provided news release.
“We’re so excited for your journey,” Hoffert said Monday. He thanked the teachers and employees for taking the journey of getting the degrees. “I know Warsaw Community Schools is coming in and taking care of the tuition part of it, but you’re investing your time. You’re investing time away from your family to hone your skills through these different master’s programs. So thank you for doing that. I hope you got off to a great first step of the journey.”
Not only are the teachers and employees working during the day, but they’re also putting in energy at night to not only to expand their expertise, but to do it for the students they work with every day, said Board President Heather Reichenbach.
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